Chinese new year is coming soon. I’ve not written anything in a long time and what better time is there than the present?Happy Chinese New Year to one and all! Somehow, something feels lacking… I don’t seem to be excited about the coming festival or any festival at all :(. Anyway, some updates:At least six months have passed (has it really been that long?) since my last post. There weren’t much significant events other than my POP, my bro’s enlistment and me finally getting that TOURNESOL. Finally after six gruelling (most torturing of my mind) months, I got rid of that prefix “REC” and got another one - “PTE” (it’s actually just a synonym). Ouch.Went for my brother’s enlistment and there were some eyeopening moments. It’s like being a buyer as compared to a seller before I guess.FFXII. I know it’s an old game but it was the most engaging game I possesed. I really hate one thing about FF games. The makers seem to find great joy and a huge sense of accomplishment whenever they make a gamer do things repeatively over a long period of time (I’m talking in hours here) just to get an item. It took me around 1 week to get the Tournesol. It would have been faster if I was crazy and if I wasn’t, it would make me. Anyway, after getting it, I felt my game was not “perfect” enough and I restarted all over again… Then I got bored with it and I am currently going back to my “game surfing” days.To end this post, I’ll list a few new year resolutions (I’m not a banana):1.Stop spending on unnecessary stuffs!2.Start saving!3.Lose more weight.ps. Thought I would just put it in here that I lost around 30 kg during bmt (but I distinctly remember gaining a little during the last week making the weight loss closer to 27 )…
I handed in my resignation letter yesterday. As of tomorrow, I will officially no longer be a staff of NYP. Thanks to the staff throughout my poly life and my (officially) first job. Three years passes by real quickly when you’re thinking back unlike when you’re living it…
It was fun (with periods of boredom - though there are only a few). For remembrance sake, I’ll list out what happened chronologically.
2005: Fresh out of secondary school and not making it for Junior College. For me personally JC was no big deal, but I’m sure I broke my dad’s heart. Also had to deal with him passing away from cancer. yup, not a great start to a new stage in life.
Met Jer first. He was this kid who just came and sat beside me during C prog. Then he started yapping awap :p and we knew each other. Following that, came to know Jun Hua, Su Yi and Gummy through him.
2006: Nothing of great importance except for my introduction to the WorldSkills competition. First heard of it when out of the blue, I was dragged out of the lecture Hall and “recruited” to join CNC (milling if I’m not wrong). At first, I wasn’t interested, wanted poly life to go through smoothly and quietly. Then the more that guy propaganda, the more I felt interested… Well but because of a lab test I did not attend the recruitment talk and thought that I wasn’t going to be able to compete. During the second semester, I got a letter inviting me to go for a recruitment talk for WSS(WorldSkills Singapore) Mechatronics. I didn’t know much about it except that I was thinking this is more at home… afterall my course of study is Mechatronics. Got a bit bored of the trainings after a while at first. It was also around the same time I got to know WeiJie the manical dai dee player lol :p .
2007: Year three. The new semester was a chore for me… It was mostly theory and reports two things I hated most in study… Oh yeah there were a huge increase of presentation from previous years as well. But somehow I managed to get by getting ace for some subjects I never expected as well (lol my theory is that I’m not among the best, but just above the rest). Anyway the attraction to me was the FYP(final year project) and IAP(Industrial Attachment Programme). Learned a lot. But it was this period that made me feel more confident with my skills for wss.
2008: Graduation and first job. Received the news that I won’t be able to compete due to some problems with mindef… that was disappointing… But there was a silver lining. I was hired to train those able to go for the competition. I guess that means that they recognised that I had some skills to pass on. Anyway they did a recruitment really late and two new groups joined us. There was only 3 more months to the QR (qualifying round) and we had to bring them to a level they can go through. As of this moment they have not gone through their QR but hopefully they will be able to go through and get to the finals. Well stating there was a huge gap between the old team and the two new teams but now as we are a few days from QR (18 June) I feel they are quite close to each other but with the old team still being the strongest.
That’s about it. And now I’m entering a new phase in life - NS. the only reason I don’t wanna get on with it is that I wouldn’t be able to see the groups at the QR. Hopefully, they do get through.
Finally, I want to thank all the people who was there, the Dai dee club, wss staff and teams and other’s I forgot (opps. sorry ).
LOL. This game had me laughing almost all the way and when I finished the game this song made me laugh even louder lol!
“Portal” ending song - “Still Alive” lyrics
Sung by: Ellen McLain voice of “GLaDOS”
Written by: Jonathan Coulton
–
This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
It’s hard to overstate
my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because
we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there’s no sense crying
over every mistake.
You just keep on trying
till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are still alive.
I’m not even angry.
I’m being so
sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece
into
a fire.
As they burned
it hurt because
I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data
make a beautiful line.
And we’re out of beta.
We’re releasing on time.
So I’m GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are still alive.
Go ahead and leave me.
I think I prefer
to stay
inside.
Maybe you’ll find someone else
to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa
THAT WAS A JOKE.
Ha ha
FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It’s so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when there’s Science to do.
When I look out there,
it makes me GLaD I’m not you.
I’ve experiments to run.
There is research to be done.
On the people who are
still alive.
And believe me I am
still alive.
I’m doing Science and I’m
still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I’m
still alive.
While you’re dying I’ll be
still alive.
And when you’re dead I will be
still alive.
still alive
STILL ALIVE
–
No idea if it’s the weather nowadays or just too much green tea (or both!). I just can’t seem to think in peace this few days. Tried sleeping and I would be thinking about this and that… just can’t shut down my mind and enter the blessed lala land lol. Sometimes, I feel that sleeping (more specifically dreaming) is a great escape from this reality but trying to enter that world is sometimes tough for me. And the heat is really getting to me now. I would try to sleep, fail, feel the heat and get real agitated. It reminded me of a feeling I once had when I was on a super I-cannot-breathe crowded bus. I just had this urge to just wack everyone on it… luckily I did not give in to the dark side lol.
Anyway I used to be able to keep cool by thinking calmly but now I can’t even organise my thoughts coherently how on earth am I supposed to keep cool? I even encountered problem with keeping my thoughts together for a long time when I’m out walking alone.
Alright, that’s alot of c-rapping but I had to get it off my chest else I might Xplode soon…
Hopefully, I’ll be able to (1) redesign this site soon and (2) create a portfolio. (2) might be impossible…
Woohoo! Today, I received the letter that confirm my acceptance into NTU! Moreover, I got my first choice! Feeling real happy… Damn this is a great feeling! But I worry about the cost of studying… But that can’t touch me now !
The very first day at work (full-time) it felt totally… the same. The transition is so smooth that I basically feel nothing special about the day. Imagine going from student to staff overnight… at the same location you’ve been at the last 3 years… and wearing the same stuff… No wonder I felt no difference.. Hopefully it stays that way. Will post a picture soon.
I feel old. I’m already starting to look back at my life and feeling regrets. Seeing those “high-above” teachers in course made me think. They are no different from any human beings - Childlike joy, companionship. I now know how Charlie from “As the crow flies” felt when having to treat his CO as a peer. It just makes you feel strange when someone supposed to be your superior treats you on an equal footing. I wonder what I would be thinking about this time next year.
Today, I encountered a stunner. Bryan raised the SOS and ask us to come up with a latching circuit for him (by us I mean Kenneth, Joshua and I). We came up with something that looks workable. Anyway, we found out that that wasn’t what his sup wanted - he wanted a latching circuit that is turned on and off using a single “switch” whereas the one we came up with uses two. How on earth are we supposed to use one switch to control 2 that are supposed to turn on one if the other had turned on before? That’s the stunner. We didn’t how to do it so Kenneth went to research on the circuit of a already done pcb. But we could’nt use relays so thats out of the question.
Somehow, I felt personally involved and set to task to solve this problem. As it was already 6 (end of school hours), we (meaning me) gave up and went home. However, on the way home, I was determined to solve it.
I racked my brain and couldn’t come out with anything.. I just kept drawing transistors and feeling stupid. I kept thinking that I should think out of the box but I kept drawing transistors. Surfing the net for information, I came across a site describing the fundamentals - how a transistor works. Browsing through the site, I discovered how PNP transistors work (I think it was taught before but I can’t be sure..) and ta-dah! I had an inspiration.
The idea is as follow, as the PNP transistor requires a low to turn it “on” and the NPN a high, I decided to use both in the circuit to replace the two switches. The idea seems fine at the moment but I’m expecting it to fail when actually put into test as it seems a bit shaky…
Bad day for playing hearts… I lost when I should have won… Anyway…
Our table was taken away. We had to clear them as they wanted to move it to BLK R. But we didn’t move with them. Heard it’s because of the (lack of) air con.
We got a small little desk for ourself and I got into setting up the place as cozy as I could (hopefully). Jackson came and cause me to miss my dinner… (but then because of that I had a better one ) We got some advice and talk about some stuff - most of which I’ve forgotten… I’ve found out that I’ve a short memory this couple of days. It’s quite horrible- I would be talking with my friends on next topic and when he were to refer back the next moment I would say ‘huh?’ and he’ll shake his head.
I also started reading Jeffery Archer’s books again. I’m now reading “Not a penny more, Not a penny less”. Hopefully, I would be able to find some time to read them…
Tml, I’m going for the NTU talk… I’m still considering.. Should I study first or work first… Well, I hope tomorrow’s event will clear some doubt and I would be able to come to a decision soon…
8 more days to go before I finish school. Time flies. Oh yeah had a great dinner near Cheng-Hsiang’s place - those vegetarian chicken tastes like the real deal..
Did nothing at all at the office lol. Went alittle late and spent almost the whole day at rec. Later, we (ie. IA students) split up for awhile - some went with Jasper and some went with KY (and one went home). Anyway I went with KY - nice home there Later went to PS and walked around before the other group appeared… Went to eat and then walk again… Was a little disappointing but at least there was a gathering in the first place. Now have to go back school… No rest!!!